NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

It took a final-round appearance in New England for Tommy Johnson Jr. to get his season on track a year ago. The Funny Car standout now hopes history is about to repeat itself heading into this weekend’s 47th annual NHRA Summernationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Johnson put together a second straight final-round appearance in Epping on Monday, and it appears that things are shaping up nicely for Johnson and his Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T. Last year’s first final-round appearance started Johnson’s strong run that included two wins, eight final-round appearances, and a third-place points finish.

Fresh off his first final round during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, Johnson is optimistic heading to Englishtown.

“Our team seems to be a slow starter, and last year, we did the same thing,” said Johnson, who moved to ninth in points after the Epping event. “Epping is when things turned for the better and got us on a roll. Coming into this year, I knew we had a championship-caliber team. We had a slow start, but we’ve been building, and hopefully this kicks off a good stretch for us.

“A lot of parts change in these cars, and it’s hard to keep them performing well all the time. We’ve done a good job adapting and massaging the tune-up to work with what we have now. It’s coming along now.”

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the iconic summertime event that for the first time will be televised on FOX Sports 1. It is the 10th of 24 events in 2016 and the second of four straight race weekends during June.

Johnson views that as a good thing, especially with the start that included a series of runs in the 3.90s before a close loss in the final round to Don Schumacher Racing teammate Ron Capps. After sitting as low as 12th in the points standings four races ago, Johnson and his team, led by crew chief John Collins, have made considerable strides.

Johnson has been to two semifinals and one final round since then, and the talented veteran has his sights set on more during this busy stretch.

“You can definitely make a big gain with four in a row, and as a driver, it’s great,” Johnson said. “As a driver, you love stretches like this. The more runs in the car, the better you get. Hopefully we can go on a run and keep that momentum going. I’m glad we’re off to a great start.”

But even when the team suffered through a slow start, including three first-round losses in the first four races, Johnson was impressed with how the team battled through it. It also meant Johnson had to keep pushing forward, knowing better days were ahead.

“It is easy to get down when you’re struggling, but as a driver, you have to bring it every time,” Johnson said. “You have to really keep good focus, and when you come to the starting line, you have to do the best job you can. No matter where the performance is, you try to be the best you can on the starting line. It’s nice to see both starting to come around.”

The recent string also helps ease some nerves about the points standings, even if it is early. Johnson wasn’t overly concerned sitting outside the top 10 as recently as three races ago, but he does want to be peaking heading into the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. That happened a season ago when Johnson made four final-round appearances in a five-race stretch during the six-race playoffs, entering the Countdown in third.

“You do have to keep the big picture in mind,” Johnson said. “You have to keep working and keep focused on the fact that it’s a long year. We can put a good season together, and I knew we would get it together. You have to get the team going on the same idea. Fortunately, last year we had some experience in it, and we turned it around and made a heck of a charge.”

Johnson hopes that charge continues in Englishtown against a host of talented Funny Car standouts, including DSR teammates Capps, Hagan, who won back-to-back races in Atlanta and Topeka, and Jack Beckman, who made the highlight reel in New Hampshire with an intense engine explosion. Others to watch include defending world champion Del Worsham, points leader Courtney Force, Robert Hight, John Force, Tim Wilkerson, and Alexis DeJoria.

Johnson also has special memories about racing at the NHRA Summernationals, including an incredible victory in 2007 in Funny Car.

“To me, that was probably my ultimate victory,” Johnson said. “We were the No. 1 qualifier, and the car burned to the ground in the first round. It caught fire at the [finish line]. We basically started over with just a frame. We were able to rebuild the car in between rounds and set low e.t. on the next run. It was phenomenal. We went on to win, and that was pretty much the ultimate way to get a victory.”
 
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 3:45 and 6:15 p.m. Friday, June 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, June 11, at 1:45 and 4:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 12.

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, 732-446-7800, or log on to www.racewaypark.com. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.